This invention relates generally to record media for recording video signals and, more particularly, to record media for use with playback apparatus to produce stop-motion video displays.
Record media of this particular type have typically been in the form of record discs and have recorded composite signals that contain both a video signal and an audio signal, simultaneously. The composite signal is normally recorded in a succession of substantially circular and concentrically arranged recording tracks on the disc, with each successive frame of the signal being recorded on a separate track. Stop-motion of a selected video frame is normally accomplished by repeatedly scanning a single track. Since the corresponding audio signal would be meaningless if it, too, were repeated successively, it is normally squelched during this stop-motion playback.
One technique for providing playback of an audio signal while displaying a stop-motion video frame is to record the same video signal on a number of successive recording tracks, but with a unique portion of the audio signal recorded on each track. In this manner, the composite signal can be played back from the record disc in a conventional manner, and the video display will appear to be in stop-motion, but will be accompanied by a normal audio signal. While this techique may prove satisfactory in some situations, it can sometimes be unduly wasteful of recording space on the record disc.
It will thus be appreciated that there is a need for a video recording medium, along with apparatus for formatting a composite signal for recording on the medium and apparatus for suitably processing the signal recovered from the medium, wherein the video signal can be played back in a stop-motion fashion, with an accompanying audio signal, while using a minimum number of recording tracks on the medium. The present invention fulfills this need.